Dogs from closed Fitchburg shelter are alive and well in other area shelters

Wednesday

Jul 16, 2014 at 9:10 PM

By Paula J. Owen TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

FITCHBURG — Pit-bull mixes Mary, Lady and Jodi, feared dead by volunteers at the now defunct Fitchburg Animal Shelter, are alive and well in shelters in Worcester and Auburn, Mayor Lisa A. Wong said Wednesday.

Michael A. Ward had said Tuesday he just wanted to know what happened to Mary, a sweet pit-bull mix he befriended while volunteering at Fitchburg's shelter.

"I'm going down to visit her right now," Mr. Ward said after learning Mary and Lady were being held at Auburn's animal control facility. "I'm very happy right now."

Auburn Animal Control Officer Darleen F. Wood said she is holding Mary and Lady as a courtesy for Fitchburg until the state evaluates them. Then they will be moved to another facility for adoption or training.

"They are both fine and doing well," she said.

Mr. Ward can visit Mary by appointment at Auburn's facility if the visit is approved by the state, she said, or he may have to wait until she is moved.

Jodi, however, is already up for adoption at the Worcester Animal Rescue League, Executive Director Allie Tellier said, after the mandatory wait for a veterinarian check and behavioral evaluation.

Mr. Ward said he had no idea of Mary's whereabouts or that of the other two dogs for weeks after Susan Kowaleski, Fitchburg's animal control officer, took them away when the shelter was closed. Mr. Ward said he had pleaded in letters to her, the Police Department and the mayor to tell him where Mary was so he could at least visit her. He said he feared she might have been euthanized.

Other dogs from the closed facility were placed in area kennels, including with Wendy Kovach, owner of the Pink Poodle Kennel in Leominster. Ms. Kovach is caring for five Fitchburg strays, she said.

The shelter was the subject of a scathing report dated April 29 through May 29 from the state Department of Agricultural Resources Division of Animal Health. It criticized the euthanizing in April of a dog named Capone.

The report found that shelter manager Amy J. Egeland and Assistant Animal Control Officer Michael East conspired to euthanize Capone in violation of state law requiring that strays be held for seven days and the owners be notified. The report alleged that the two city employees tried to involve other people and agencies as a means to "deflect responsibility."

Ms. O'Connor said if Capone could not be safely held at Fitchburg's shelter, then appropriate arrangements should have been made to house him elsewhere.

Additionally, she said, Ms. Egeland overstepped her role and usurped duties and responsibilities that belonged to the animal control officer.

Subsequently, the shelter closed, the dogs were transferred to other facilities and Ms. Egeland was let go.

"It seems most dogs have a happy ending and reconnect with their loved ones," Ms. Wong said. "Thankfully, there is a community of well-run shelters and committed professionals in this region who have helped us find homes for those whose owners have not been found."

Ms. Wong said the "volume" did not justify the cost and liability of running an animal shelter.

"The city never operated a shelter before this one and we felt working with area shelters like we did before worked a lot better," she said.

More than a a year before Capone was killed, the agricultural department had cited poor conditions at the shelter, including leaky roofs, dysfunctional doors that allow cold air into the kennels, broken runs and an inefficient heating system. The report also alleged the shelter was actively soliciting pit bulls from other shelters.

"This activity is a drain on Fitchburg's financial resources and consumes staff time," it said. "Dogs from other parts of the state are not the responsibility of the taxpayers of Fitchburg, nor should the city be paying for space, food, vet bills and their general care."

The report also questioned if staff at the shelter were trained to handle the sometimes difficult and potentially dangerous dogs, and the facility lacked written protocols and policies.

Additionally, it said, communication between the animal control officer and shelter manager "is problematic and ranges from non-communication to hostility."

The report recommended the city explore regionalizing shelter and animal control services.

Contact Paula Owen at powen@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @PaulaOwenTG